Charles Jaffe was born in Dubrouna*. He moved to America in 1896 and worked as a silk-mill merchant until he became a professional chess player in 1910.
He was 3rd at New York 1913 and his career included a victory over Jose Raul Capablanca and match wins over Oscar Chajes and Jacques Mieses.

In October 1912, he lost a three game match against Capablanca by 0.5 to 2.5.

Capablanca later made a public allegation that at the Havana (1913) tournament Jaffe had thrown a game against Marshall enabling the latter to win the tournament. Capablanca and his powerful supporters in the East Coast American chess establishment, Hartwig Cassel and Hermann Helms, concerted this damaging embargo on Jaffe.

Jaffe played Janowski in a match twice. Game Collection: Jaffe - Janowski where he lost narrowly by 6-7, then in a return match November 1917 to January 1918 he lost by 8-10. At the Rye Beach Tournament (July 1918) he was equal third behind perennial rivals Chajes and Kupchik.

Although he won the 1920 Rice Progressive Chess Club Championship ahead of Chajes and Kupchik, then took second place to Marshall at the Atlantic City Tournament (July 1920), he was never a rival to Marshall. In the late 1920s Jaffe stopped playing regularly in tournaments.

Gypsy: <Does anyone know how he came to participate in the Karlsbad 1911 tournament?> Jaffe was of Polish origin in the era when Pan-Slavism was a popular concept in the land that felt to be under German (Habsburk) opression for close to 300 years. That may have gotten him the nod. Just a guess, but the same pedigree (American master of Polish origin) holds also for Chajes who also trailed together with Jaffe, Alapin, and Fahrni the tournament table at Karlsbad, 1911 .

‘When chessplayers go to law on some matter connected with the game, there is usually a touch of the ridiculous. In the Bronx Municipal Court, on 4 April, a case came up in which Charles Jaffe sued Hartwig Cassel, one of the editors of the American Chess Bulletin, for $700 – over £140 – for work alleged to have been done in analysing the Rice Gambit. Last year Professor Isaac J. [sic – L. would be correct] Rice invited a number of strong American players to Utica to test his gambit once more, and it was agreed that their investigations should be continued. Jaffe, however, broke away from the rest and decided to analyse by himself. The others concluded their joint work, which is to appear in a book entitled Twenty Years of the Rice Gambit, while Mr Julius Finn, who was appointed referee in the matter, declared Jaffe’s work not acceptable. Hence the lawsuit, Mr Cassel being brought in as having acted in an advisory capacity for the late professor in chess matters. The witnesses at the trial included Marshall (who considered Jaffe’s claim not unreasonable), Julius Finn, Albert B. Hodges, and J. Rosenthal. The verdict was in favour of Mr Cassel. The chief amusement seems to have been when Jaffe was in the witness-box on his own behalf, and expressed his opinion of the chess strength of a number of noted players in the court – not unqualified by their attitude towards him in the case.’

A detailed account of the case appeared on pages 124-125 of the May-June 1916 American Chess Bulletin.>

<Dan Scoones (Coquitlam, BC, Canada) sends the following extract from a report on page 19 of the New York Times, 20 July 1919:

‘By invitation of the I.L. Rice Progressive Chess Club, Metropolitan League champions, Oscar Chajes, Charles Jaffe and Boris Kostić started a short three-cornered tournament at that club yesterday. The pairings brought together Jaffe and Kostić in the first round, Kostić winning the toss for move and selecting the Ruy López. The Serbian brought about an early exchange of queens, Jaffe being left in possession of two bishops. The latter won a pawn at his 24th turn, and playing in excellent style thereafter, brought about Kostić’s resignation after 48 moves had been recorded. Jaffe will play against Chajes in the next round.’>

There is another game Jaffe-Kostic, New York 1919 but it doesn't fit the description and it's unclear so I won't submit it until further information appear. But that's the game:

offramp: Jaffe and Chajes were like ... have you ever read The Castle by Franz Kafka? They were like Arthur and Jeremiah. K said that it was impossible to tell them apart and he could not be bothered to remember which one was which - so he called them both by one name.

Imposter: He was once mugged by thieves who demanded money. Apparently he shrugged and invited them to search him and to let him know if they found anything, cause he sure couldn't. Apparently the would be thieves were charmed by the guy and took him to a tavern and treated him to a beer.

Not sure if it's true, but this story has been around for a while and it adds to the legend of the man.

(His opponent indeed is not of first rank. It is the same Jaffe who unsuccessfully dabbled in a European master tournament, I believe it was Karlsbad, a few years ago. But the chess personality of the Cuban is of such interest, that also games like these create interest. They reveal, at least from his side, a style.)

Source: 'Pester Lloyd', 1913.01.26, p. 11

The context: Dr. Lasker annotates C Jaffe vs Capablanca, 1912 as there had been few games of Capablanca, thereby providing this short assessment of Jaffe.

Avun Jahei: ‘Apropos is the story of the game between the invincible Capablanca and Charles Jaffe, pride of the East Side. Capa forgot he was invincible: he lost. A reporter who was present asked the Cuban, “How far do you see ahead?” Capa replied impressively, “About ten moves”. Then the reporter went over to Jaffe: “How far do you see ahead?” Much to everyone’s surprise, the reply was, “Only one move”. This didn’t make sense. “How could a player who can see only one move ahead defeat another who can delve so deeply?” Here Jaffe explained: “I see only one move ahead, but always the best move.” That is sufficient.’

zanzibar: <Frank J. Marshall has a number of local engagements, beginning with a lecture at the rooms of the Jaffa Chess Club, 123 Essex Street, this evening. Next Saturday, the same evening on which the Manhattan Chess Club dinner will be held at the Hotel Brevoort, he will give a simultaneous exhibition at the Brooklyn Institute Chess Club, and on April 13, he is scheduled for a similar performance at the New York City Chess Club.

The Jaffe Chess Club, with Charles Jaffe as director and Instructor, was opened at Kotlitzki's Conditorel, 123 Essex Street, last Saturday, when Jaffe played nine, consultation games simultaneously, in which nearly 70 players took part. The expert won 7, drew 1, and lost 1, which latter was to members of the Brownsville Chess Club to whom prizes were awarded.>

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